Sunday, July 13, 2008

Yes , true you might be the next to be evicted as a lawful rent stabilized tenant in the state of New York ; this fact is in part the cause of this protest along with an expression of sympathy , solidarity and support for the tenant of 47 E 3rd street who may soon all be evicted .The law , and previous determinations of its meaning by lower courts , here that will allow the Economakis family to disposess lawfully the entire number of remaining tenants has suffered judicial review at the highest level of appeal in the State of New York . The appeals court has simply said that the Economakis family is entitled by the letter of the law , a portion of a statute of the rent stabilization law of the Sate of New York , to claim that it wants the building as its own to use as its own private residence and is allowed to lawfully evict all current tenants to do so ; a conversion of a common tennement building to a personal family mansion on E. 3rd street .This determination in review by the court of appeals will now permit the eviction of the entire number of tenants of any residential stabilized building by any landlord making the claim of a desire to take the entire building as a his or her personal residence . It is only required that this landlord live in the building exclusively for 3 years ; thereafter he or she may dispose of the building as he or she desires . There is of course no mechanism defined or established to assure that such landlord does actually live in the building exclusively for these 3 years .This is effectively a landmark determination that will , as can easily be seen , come to affect a great many rent stabilized tenants in this city ; tenants that , with things as they are in NYC ,have few options . A determination that will have disastrous consequences for many especially the elderly and those with lesser means raising families .The Economakis family must still return to housing court to be granted permission to evict the remaining tenants and take possesion of the entire building . That judicial process may take some time , a year or more perhaps we have been told , but it is almost certain that the Economakis family will prevail .The only hope for rent sabilized tenants in this city is that they can convince their state legislators to change this law to prevent this sort of whole building eviction from becoming a common tool of landlords to clear buildings of rent stabilized tenants .

Thus on moral grounds this protest of the Economakis family and a law that most without considerable means find quite frightening was conducted Friday night . A mindful state of general frustation , anger and fearful hopelessnes with the manner in which a wealthy elite , a plutocracy , has put entire neighborhoods , indeed the entire city up for sale to the highest bidder with little regard to the fact such action is destroying the culture and soul of New York City was also agitating in support of this protest .

There will almost certainly be more protests , especially on the day of eviction , conducted by members of the East Village community . Support them and champion their cause to your elected New York State representatives .

The plan and structure of this tenement building does not allow an easy conversion to a private family mansion . Having spent many years designing , building and converting structures , in our opinion this building is a poor candidate for such a conversion and thus we suspect that this building will never ever be so converted by the Economakis family .This is all but a scam to empty the building for its eventual sale .

Early in the evening the commander of the 9th precint professionally and courteously explained the rules , mostly do not take to the streets at any time , that the protestors must obey to organizer John Penley .

They evening protest went well , without problems , though the protest did not in the end go to all the sites orinally planned . NYPD personnel were freindly and courteous throughout the entire protest .

Sadly , the French Revolution theme was hardly evident . There was no guillotine , no cabbages rolling as severed heads in the street , no white wigs , no Marie Antoinette , no dung heap of a cake ... but there were cakes , cupcakes , and 2 Boots Pizza did provide 5 pizzas for the protestors . We did hear a brief bit of a French speaking pedestrians cell-phone conversation but little else ... not even a red , white and blue French flag .

David Peel performed "Die Yuppie Scum " of course and a nasty little tune about the Economakises of 47 E 3rd street .

Penny Arcade expounded on the nature and consequences of the courts landmark determination to the protestors .

The march to the numerous other protest sites beyond the Economakis residence begins .

Protesting NYU's gobbling-up of East Village neighborhood real estate at the NYU dorm at Bowery and 3rd street .

Protesting at the John Varvatos store at 315 Bowery , the former location of CBGB.

Protest organizer John Penley leads the protestors forward to the Bowery Wine Co . to claim the pizza promised to them by Chris Sileo , owner of BWC, in an interview in " The Observer "

As the protestors arrive at the Bowery Wine Co. on 1st street , patrons calmly and indifferently sip their drinks and continue with their conversations , but one woman in white videos the event in all its silly detail .

The throng wants it's promised pizza and does protests vigorously to that end .

Aaron Kay , "the Pieman" , infamous for having been the only one to have mashed and smeared pies in the mugs of Mayor Lindsey , Mayor Beame , Jackie Onassis and numerous other notables , waits for his promised pie , that is pizza pie .

Protestors demand pizza .

With jubilation the masses respond to the news that the pizza is finally being ordered . Unfortunately the cops suggest to the BWC management that pizza should not be ordered for the protestors because they suspect that some protestors will on receiving their pizza simply hurl it back at the BWC personnel as well as at the cops .

Bowery Wine Co. owner Chris Sileo talks with David Peel . Both realized that they had at a time in the past met and had conversed before .

We asked Mr. Sileo if Bruce Willis was in any way an owner of BWC and he confirmed what we had read in "The Observer " that being that he was not ...just an old freind .

At this time the protest broke-up into two groups , one group moving-on and one group remaining , talking with BWC personnel and others for some time at the BWC

The last stop on the protest march was again as with the last protest , the Christodora on Avenue B where the protestors serenaded a resident who hung out of her window , drink-in-hand , waving with a big smile on her face seemingly entertained by it all .

All's well that ends well and this evening of protest was quite congenial , protestors and NYPD working well together . At the end , the last photo , the commander of the 9th and two of his troop .

Finally we were informed by protest organizer John Penley that he has contacted Chris Sileo and offered that if he and Bruce Willis will publicly, i.e., in a newspaper of note , condemn the Economakis family for their efforts to evict the tenants of 47 E. 3rd street that he , John Penley, promises to never lead a protest to the Bowery Wine co. again .

"LES not for sale" reads the protest sign, but we all know that the sad reality is "LES:SOLD". This fight was lost many years ago, the evidence is just more visible now. The neighborhood, as a Neighborhood, is lost.